Scotland’s first ‘Platinum Woods’ announced, as scheme is extended until March
PR & communications officer - Scotland
New 70-acre woodlands commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II have been created at Traquair in the Borders and at Glen Kyllachy on Speyside.
Landowners now have until the end of March 2023 to come forward and create further 70-acre woods as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – a unique tree-planting initiative which invited people across the UK to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.
Platinum Jubilee Woods will be registered on the online Queen’s Green Canopy map and landowners can mark the site with a special QGC plaque. New plantings may also be eligible for the Woodland Trust’s woodland carbon scheme and associated financial support.
The Queen’s Green Canopy was due to conclude at the end of the Platinum Jubilee year in 2022, but following Her Majesty’s death in September, and with the blessing of His Majesty King Charles III, the scheme will continue until the end of the tree-planting season.
The Woodland Trust’s large-scale planting scheme was created to help landowners mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years of service, and new woods will now also serve to commemorate her life.
Woodland Trust Scotland director Alastair Seaman said: “We are delighted to announce the first Platinum Woods, as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy in Scotland, are at Glen Kyllachy on Speyside and at Traquair in the Borders. We would like to hear from other landowners who may wish to take part in this initiative creating a legacy in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth.”
Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Lady of Traquair, said: “We are delighted to have our new woodland included as a Platinum Wood which we hope will raise awareness of the legacy of tree planting at Traquair in the years to come. It is critical that we continue to plant for the future to safeguard our environment and the long term sustainability of our heritage at Traquair.
“The woodland is being named after my daughter, Isabella, a keen environmentalist and the next generation of those who will be in charge of nurturing and protecting the woodland in the future.”
The 70-acre Platinum Woods are the largest in the Queens Green Canopy initiative, which is also supplying free saplings to schools and community groups through the Woodland Trust’s free trees for schools and communities scheme.
If you would like to get involved in the Woodland Trust’s Platinum Woods initiative, find out more by emailing qgcwoods@woodlandtrust.org.uk. Please send a brief description of the planned wood along with the location and a map.
Notes to editors
For further information please contact George Anderson at Woodland Trust Scotland on 07770 700631.
The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK with more than 500,000 supporters. It wants to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife.
The Trust has three key aims:
- protect ancient woodland, which is rare, unique and irreplaceable
- restoration of damaged ancient woodland, bringing precious pieces of our natural history back to life
- establish native trees and woods with the aim of creating resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 29,000 hectares. Access to its woods is free so everyone can benefit from woods and trees.
Free trees for schools and communities
The Woodland Trust is giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities to make sure everybody in the UK has the chance to plant a tree.
To apply, or see terms and conditions, visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/freetrees
The Trust’s tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners: Sainsbury's, Lloyds Bank, OVO Energy, Bank of Scotland and Sofology.
The Queen’s Green Canopy
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The QGC initiative has been extended to the end of March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.